


And then they were one.

by LiveBoldly



Category: Star Wars Sequel Trilogy, Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker
Genre: F/M, Fix It Fic, Rey and Ben WILL get their HEA, Reylo - Freeform, and self indulgent, catharsis because I'm mad af, man oh man was tros a mess, this is very corny
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-12-25
Updated: 2019-12-25
Packaged: 2021-02-26 01:48:23
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 2
Words: 1,415
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/21961615
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/LiveBoldly/pseuds/LiveBoldly
Summary: Hi everyone!After seeing The Rise of Skywalker, I needed to get all the sadness and anger out of my system, so I wrote this alternate ending. It's probably not perfect, but it's how I wanted the movie to end.I have exams coming up, so I kept it short, but this may get updated once I'm done / if I feel like procrastinating!
Relationships: Rey & Ben Solo | Kylo Ren, Rey/Ben Solo, Rey/Ben Solo | Kylo Ren
Comments: 1
Kudos: 15





	1. Chapter 1

Ben’s eyelids bat a few times, desperately trying to stay opened. His whole body hurt. For once, he didn’t want to keep fighting. After all, wouldn’t it be easier to just lay down here, and slowly drift away? What could be done against the power which had manipulated him his whole life? His hand moved slightly, trying to assess how bad the damages were, and touched someone else’s hand. Rey’s. But she didn’t move, and his eyes finally opened. 

He had lost too much. He wouldn’t lose her. This ended right there right now. 

He rose to his feet, laboriously, to face the creature in front of him. Extending his arm, a light-saber flew in his palm. But not the one he had once inherited from his grandfather: it was the one his mother had once scolded him for finding in her belongings. Of course, the whole thing had ended in a hug, but he had never seen the weapon again, and she had never mentioned it later on. But he had no time to dwell on bittersweet memories: he just had time to ignite it, blocking the electricity coming from Palpatine hands. 

The light saber could barely contain the surge of energy, and he could feel his opponent gloating in the force. Weak, just like your grandfather was, he could hear him think. But he was not his grandfather: he was strong, and he would do whatever it would take to save Rey and himself. Summoning the last strength he had, he made his grandfather’s light saber fly into his hand, and ignited it, crossing the two blades. At this very moment, he felt a sudden burst of energy: generations of Jedi rallying to support him. He could feel them in the force: the familiar signature of his uncle, the one of who is grandfather was before becoming Vador, and thousands more. With their strength, he finally could advance on his opponent, whose smile started to falter. 

« You fool! You can’t save her, even if you kill me, the power of a thousand generations of Siths will flow into you, and there’ll be no light side to help you heal her! »

Ben was now just one light saber swing away now. He waited for a moment of weakness from the Sith Lord, and unlocking his mother’s blade from their embrace, he plunged it into Palpatine’s chest. The former emperor tumbled to the ground, and the last thing he heard was the voice of the man he had tormented from his conception: 

« I’m not killing you. I’m saving her. »

And as his life left his wretched body, the life force he had absorbed from Rey and Ben flew right back into him, but not the Sith’s power: it was destroyed by the Jedi, finally vanquishing their old Nemesis. 

Not wasting a second, Ben ran back to Rey, who was still lying where he had fell, lifeless. He knelt next to her, and took her in his arms, one of his hand behind her neck, the other one resting on her stomach. Despair was trying to wash his sanity away, but he managed to focus, and for the first time in years, he summoned the Light Side, transferring some of his life force to her. After what seemed like forever, he finally felt a hand touching his: opening his eyes, he saw Rey looking at him, a faint smile on her lips. 

\- Did we win? she whispered.  
\- We did… wait, Rey, what are you doing, you should lay…

But he didn’t have time to finish his sentence, she had straightened herself, and cupping his head in her hands, she kissed him. Her lips were soft and slightly trembling, and even though she was hesitant, he felt like everything in the universe was finally right. 

When their lips parted, she looked hesitantly at him, looking for a sign of his thoughts on his face. And then for the first time in what felt like forever, he smiled. She smiled back, and he pulled her in the tightest hug she had ever felt. At that moment, they both found their belonging: in each other’s arms.


	2. Chapter 2

Finn was looking anxiously at the sky, waiting for Rey to come back. He knew she would, he knew he would have felt it if she had died. When he finally saw her ship, he sighed with relief, just before realizing there was a second ship: a TIE fighter was right behind her, and yet it was not firing, and he could feel no hostile intention coming from it. He watched the two ships make planetfall, just outside the Resistance’s GQ. Not wanting to disturb the celebrations occurring there, but wary of who could be the pilot of the First Order’s ship, he signaled Poe and Chewie to follow him. Lando came as well, and the four of them disappeared in the forest, weapons at the ready. 

They finally stepped in the small clearing where the two ships were, and Poe’s heart dropped in his stomach: Rey was here, but right beside her was their old foe, Kylo Ren.

\- Rey! Move aside! he yelled at her, taking aim with his laser gun.  
\- Finn! No! she yelled back, stepping in front of Ren, shielding him with her body. He’s with us now!  
\- With us now? Rey, what are you talking about? Poe intervened. He’s the one we’re fighting!  
\- Not anymore! He killed Palpatine, he saved me! He renounced the Dark Side, he’s with us now!

Followed a cacophony of screams from Poe and Finn, refusing to believe he had simply switched sides. It was Lando who took the first step towards him, shutting up the two other men with a sign of the hand: 

\- So you’re really back? he asked calmly. What made you switch?  
\- Han and Leia, he replied. And Rey. They helped me realize I’d been manipulated my whole life.  
\- Come here boy, Lando simply muttered opening his arms for his godson, his eyes shinier than usual. 

Ben was hesitant at first, but he was pulled in a tight hug by one of his godfather, and the other one soon joined them: Chewie was holding both of them against him, and quietly wailing. Pulling himself from their embrace, Ben looked at them, tears in his eyes: 

\- Lando, Chewie… he said, knots in his throat. I’m so sorry… they’re all gone because of me…  
\- Ben… Lando cut him off. You’re back now, that’s all that matters.  
\- All that matters? Finn erupted, his voice slightly higher than usual. All that matters? This is the man who stole thousands of children from their family, who waged war against countless words…  
\- Who destroyed my X-Wing! Poe cut him off. Who killed Resistance’s soldiers! Tortured me!  
\- And I am sorry, Ben said, arching a brow at the man’s priorities’ order. I regret it, truly. And if you let me, I want to right my wrongs.  
\- Finn! Rey intervened, seeing on his friend’s face he wasn’t having any of what Ben was saying. I know you can use the Force, so reach out to him, and you will see, there’s no Dark Side left in him! He healed me, he couldn’t have done that if he wasn’t back on the Light Side. 

Begrudgingly, Finn closed his eyes, trying to harness this new power. He felt a hand reaching out in the Force, and it could only be Kylo’s. No. Ben’s, he realized upon taking it: he only felt sorrow and regret, a lifetime of it. Opening his eyes, he spoke with a hoarse voice: 

\- Welcome to the Resistance then, Solo.  
\- Thank you, Finn, Ben replied, extending his real hand this time. This means a lot to me. 

Finn shook his hand. Poe was reluctant, muttering he would be watching him, but still shook it as well. Rey then took Ben’s hand, the two of them exchanging a tender glance which made a lot of eyebrows raise, but her huge smile was so telling, none of them dared to make a comment, and so they went back to the Resistance, old rivalries starting to mend. 

When they got out of the forest and stepped amongst the Resistance’s members, the tall man dressed all in black got a good number of wary looks, but since he was holding hands with their biggest asset, their hero, their Jedi, and their generals seemed to have no intentions of shooting him, but were rather busy themselves holding hands, they didn’t ask any questions.

**Author's Note:**

> Anyways JJ Abrams is a coward. 
> 
> Thanks everyone for reading this!
> 
> PS: I wrote some moments while listening to Across the Stars, so...


End file.
